Adolphe read his part, and received honourable mention for his workmanship in the _couplet de facture._[1] No one nowadays has any knowledge of the _couplet de facture_, save the Nestors of art, who have pleasant memories of the _his_ and _ter_ [repeated encores] which almost always welcomed the _couplet de facture._ Here are Adolphe's couplets--to every man his due:-- AIR DU VAUDEVILLE DES _BLOUSES_ "Un seul instant examinez le monde, Vous ne venez que chasseurs ici-bas. Autour de moi quand on chasse à la ronde, Pourquoi donc seul ne chasserais-je pas? Dans nos salons, un fat parfumé d'ambre De vingt beautés chasse à la fois les cœurs, Un intrigant rampant dans l'antichambre Chasse un cordon, un regard, des faveurs. Sans consulter son miroir ni son âge, Une coquette, à soixante-dix ans, En minaudant, chasse encore l'hommage Que l'on adresse à ses petits-enfants. Un lourd journal que la haine dévore, Toujours en vain chasse des souscripteurs; Et l'Opéra, sans en trouver encore, Depuis longtemps chasse des spectateurs. Un jeune auteur, amant de Melpomène, Chasse la gloire et parvient à son but: Un autre croit, sans prendre autant de peine, Qu'il lui suffit de chasser l'Institut. Pendant vingt ans, les drapeaux de la France Sur l'univers flottèrent en vainqueurs, Et l'étranger sait par expérience, Si nos soldats sont tous de bons chasseurs: Un seul instant examinez le monde, Vous ne verrez que chasseurs ici-bas. Autour de moi quand on chasse à la ronde, Pourquoi donc seul ne chasserais-je pas?" As we have said, only Rousseau's part now remained to be done. We set to work the following evening, but, because of the making up of the mail-bag, we could not begin until nine o'clock, and we did not finish before one in the morning. As I lived in the faubourg Saint-Denis, it fell to me to conduct Rousseau to the rue Poissonnière. But when Rousseau left our hands he was nearly always in a sound state of mind and body, so I had no occasion to go to the expense of purchasing lanterns to keep watch over him. When the play was finished, we had to consider to what theatre we would present our _chef-d'œuvre._ I had no preference in the matter; so long as the play was acted at all, and taken up promptly, I cared little at what house I was presented. Adolphe and Rousseau were in favour of the Gymnase, and, as I had nothing to say against that house, it was agreed. Rousseau asked for a reading, and, as he had had his pieces played there before, they could not refuse him a hearing. He therefore obtained a reading, though Poirson, who was the mainspring of the Gymnase, kept him waiting three weeks. There was nothing to be done but to wait--we had been waiting for the past two years!